Ending Secure Youth Detention Project Community Partner Co-Lead, Special Projects Manager (SPM) II

The Department of Community and Human Services values diverse perspectives and life experiences. The Department encourages people of all backgrounds to apply, including Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ, people with disabilities, veterans, and those with lived experiences.

 
King County's Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) provides equitable opportunities for people to be healthy, happy, and connected to community.
 

The Children, Youth and Young Adults Division (CYYAD) is one of five divisions in DCHS. CYYAD believes that King County should be a place where all young people have equitable opportunities to be happy, healthy, safe, and thriving members of their communities. The division operates several re-engagement, education, and employment programs for youth and young adults, and is home to the Best Starts for Kids 5 to 24 investments, and Puget Sound Tax Payer Accountability Act’s K-12, community, and post-secondary investments. The division also includes several initiatives to support youth involved or at-risk in the criminal legal system including the community-led, County-supported Restorative Community Pathways program and the Stopping the School to Prison Pipeline investments. 

On behalf of the King County Executive Dow Constantine, King County Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) is also leading the strategic planning process to identify community-based alternatives to youth incarceration and oversee community engagement to create a roadmap that supports the health of young people, the safety of communities, and the efficacy of the juvenile legal system. Ultimately, King County is working to expand the community-based resources and accountability needed to support young people in their communities, close the juvenile detention facility at the Children and Family Justice Center (CFJC), and repurpose that space to better support young people and families in King County. You can learn more about the strategic planning project at the project website (https://publicinput.com/cfjcstrategicplan2025). 

The Ending Secure Youth Detention Project Community Partner Co-Lead will advance this effort to reimagine and transform the County’s continuum of community-based alternatives to youth detention that addresses the needs and risks of young people, supports the health and well-being of young people, and upholds community safety. This position will be a leader with the proven ability to catalyze and sustain deep partnerships with community organizations and government partners to create systems change, facilitate decision-making across a diverse group of participants, collaborate and engage with community organizations and community members throughout the process, and know how to effectively interact with communities of color, and youth and young adults of color (ages 12-24 years) who are involved in the juvenile legal system and/or at-risk of involvement in the criminal legal system. They will work closely with the CYYAD Ending Secure Youth Detention Project Management Co-Lead and staff from other County departments.

WHO MAY APPLY: This position is open to all qualified candidates that meet the minimum qualifications.

REQUIRED MATERIALS: Candidates who wish to be considered for this position must submit an online King County application and respond to the supplemental questions. Your application may be rejected as incomplete if you do not include the requested and relevant information in the online application and supplemental questionnaire. Applications and/or supplemental questionnaires that state, “see my resume” are considered incomplete and will not be considered to be competitive.

WORK SCHEDULE/CONDITIONS: This is a Special Duty Assignment (SDA), or Term-Limited Temporary (TLT) position anticipated to end September 30, 2025, but subject to change dependent on operational need. This position is exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and is not eligible for overtime. Typical hours are Monday - Friday 8am - 5pm. This position is not represented by a union.

Teleworking Requirement 

The work associated with this position will be performed through a combination of teleworking complemented with onsite work and meetings as needed. Employees will have access to shared workspaces at various King County facilities. Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.
  

Employees will be provided with a County issued laptop and must maintain a workspace with an internet connection (access may be supplemented in some situations) where they can reliably perform work and remain available and responsive during scheduled work hours. Please note that when an employee conducts work that is likely to bring them in contact with another individual, safety precautions are required, including the wearing of masks in some situations. King County is doing its part to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and remains committed to reducing our carbon footprint.
   
King County has a robust collection of tools and resources to support working remotely. The individual selected for this opportunity will be joining an innovative and progressive team that is redefining how we work as we transition to the department's hybrid environment. 

RECRUITER: Susan Churchill, susan.churchill@kingcounty.gov

• Build community partnerships with organizations working with young people involved in the criminal legal system, facilitate critical dialogues to directly inform the project’s recommendations of community-based alternatives needed and establish, and manage relationships with community leaders and partners in King County.
• Work with the Advisory Committee, community partners, and co-lead to conduct analysis of various options to inform recommendations regarding alternative systems of support and accountability to youth detention at the Children and Family Justice Center, including facilitation of meetings and strategy development.
• Lead community-centered partnership strategy and facilitate activities to reach impacted populations, including young people and families with involvement in the criminal legal system, and partner with community organizations to implement activities with impacted populations. 
• Establish measures of success, acceptance criteria, and methods to track, control, and report community partnership and engagement strategy; determine financial and performance indicators and use evaluation of findings to redirect and inform the project. 
• Keep up to date with emerging local and national trends and insights and identify promising community-based alternatives to secure juvenile detention.
• Run briefings and presentations, translating challenging and complex concepts, data, and information for diverse audiences, both orally and in writing.
• Act as liaison and resource to community partners working to support young people involved in the criminal legal system. Identify potential problem areas, take corrective actions, advise others of required actions.
• With communications team, manage communications on a regular and timely basis, ensuring that all project participants and community partners are informed of project status, problems, and required actions.
• Exercise excellent collaborative and communication skills to act as a liaison with various committees, community partners, and public and political officials, including those officials with special responsibilities or interests related to this effort. Utilize similar skills to liaise with designated city, county, state, and federal agencies.

• Highly skilled in community partnerships and previous demonstrated success in organizing, planning, and executing large-scale transformation projects from vision through implementation.
• Demonstrated understanding of the effects of place, race, and policy and systems-based inequities as they relate to the juvenile legal system in King County. 
• A well-developed understanding of anti-racism, equity and social justice principles and experience leading teams and/or implementing policies that integrate equity and social justice as well as community-centered approaches into program design and policy change. 
• Skilled in group decision-making, including facilitation and negotiation skills, problem-solving, conflict resolution, and decision making; handling multiple competing priorities.
• Demonstrated personal and/or professional experience of working with and supporting young people and families impacted by the criminal legal system in King County. 
• Advanced knowledge and understanding of the juvenile legal system and strong understanding on the impacts of systemic racism in the criminal legal system. 
• Advanced skill in effectively communicating orally and in writing, including making formal presentations to groups and committees, influencing decision makers in a political environment, and working with the media; skilled in working with a variety of individuals from diverse backgrounds.
• Ability to pass a background check to access the youth detention facility and engage with young people in juvenile detention.

Considerations for access to the youth detention center:

1. Be free of drug and/or alcohol abuse – cannot currently be an alcohol or drug offender including: 
   • No illegal use/abuse of marijuana and other such drugs for at least three years 
   • No illegal use of narcotics-level drugs for the previous seven years 
   • No alcohol abuse (clean and sober) for the previous two years
2. Successfully pass the DAJD criminal history background check including: 
   • Seattle, King County Washington Crime Information Center (WACIC), National Crime Information Center (NCI) and FBI criminal background check 
   • No outstanding charges or warrants 
   • If applicant has one charge and/or conviction, three years have lapsed since the applicant was last involved in the criminal justice system (including charges, incarceration, probation, parole, etc.) or 
   • If the applicant has more than one charge and/or conviction, five years have lapsed since the applicant was last involved in the criminal justice system (including charges, incarceration, probation, parole, etc.) 
   • No charges or convictions for introduction of contraband into a secure facility 
   • Off parole/probation for a minimum of two years 
   • No history (suspicion or conviction) of abuse against children or adults – including child abuse, sexual abuse, domestic abuse, assault 

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Guided by our "True North", we are making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. We value diversity, inclusion and belonging in our workplace and workforce. To reach this goal we are committed to workforce equity. Equitable recruiting, support, and retention is how we will obtain the highest quality workforce in our region; a workforce that shares and will help advance our guiding principles--we are one team; we solve problems; we focus on the customer; we drive for results; we are racially just; we respect all people; we lead the way; and we are responsible stewards. We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply, including Native American and people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+, people living with disabilities, and veterans.

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement

King County Executive Branch employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. If you are the successful candidate for the position you applied for, the County will send you a conditional offer letter.

As a condition of employment, prior to a final offer of employment, you will be required to:

• submit proof of vaccination, or
• have an approved request for medical or religious exemption and an approved accommodation. Philosophical, political, scientific, or sociological objections to vaccination will not be considered for an exemption or accommodation.